Three months ago, my hubby and I had the honor of shooting the wedding of the daughter and son-in-law of one of my dearest friends. When asked, I was hesitant–wedding photos are serious business, and I didn’t want to be the cause of anyone’s tears or regrets re: wedding photos. Since the hubby agreed to shoot with me, I figured together we could get a few decent photos. Besides, I couldn’t say “no.” We’ve known the bride since she was growing in her mother’s womb, and her mother, Tee, is my sisterfriend (we’ve been holding on and praying each other through for 25 years now).

Inwardly, I “chickened out” a thousand times and tried to talk my hubby into doing it alone, but once we were on the road to Atlanta, I knew there was no turning back. Besides, I value my life, and I’m pretty sure Tee would have forgotten she is a child of God had I shown up at the wedding sans camera.

I’m convinced we prayed through every single shot. We wanted the photos to reflect the love between the couple as well as the love flowing from others to them. The wedding was work, but it was also fun. Hubby and I tag teamed, worked the bride and groom, their families, and guests concurrently, and coached each other through.

We ended up with thousands of photos, and surprisingly, there were more than a few good ones. In fact, there were a lot of great ones. We were pleased. The bride and groom were pleased. Most importantly, the mother of the bride was pleased. 😉

Here are a “few” of my favorite shots (You’ll have to forgive my partiality to black and white photos):

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There were really many beautiful and emotional moments, and fortunately, I was too busy for tears. There were so many times while shooting the wedding and reception that I remembered the little girl who explained to me the difference between Disney heroines; the preteen who argued persuasively while we walked the DC streets why kids would do a better job at running the U.S. government; and the teen who thought she would have better luck convincing me that she should go to boarding school than she had with her mom (I sided with her mom, but eventually she won).

Although I had just met the groom, his love for his bride was palpable and that was enough for me.